solstice

the lake is frozen, though on the verge of thawing. snow still delicately frosts the ice. there is much to which one can listen in the silence as dusk engulfs the mountain town. i hear the echos of my persistent anxiety and the rebuttal of my tenacity. it was here, seven months ago, that i sat on the dock with a glass of wine, waves lapping at the broad front of wood extending from the beach. full was my head then of moments i had experienced getting to such a place and anticipating the journey of school just a few weeks ahead. those evenings were warm with breezes kissing my cheeks and echos of parties heard around the lake. this evening i found myself bundled against the cold - hat, down jacket, snow pants, mittens, and boots - as i sat on the edge of the dock, my feet dangling above the snow. oh what a moment of sweet silence. i always come back to this place for moments of rejoicing and celebration, for moments of solace in the face of defeat, and for moments of solitude when i need to listen to my heart for lost am i on the journey. tonight the whisper of spring lingers on the cusp of the eve. the winter of hardship, struggle, and enduring determination will soon bear blossoms and fruit. the struggle is not over, but the reward for choosing to walk the path is ever closer. and i sit, as i have done so many times before, savoring the grandeur of the mountains that surround me and the stillness of the water before it breaks loose of its icy shell and runs free once again. i gather strength once more to face the task at hand. finding hope in the solitude that now surrounds me.